Madonna shared one of her earliest musical memories of one of her greatest inspirations. (Photo: Twitter,
@Madonna)

The sudden passing of David Bowie has left us tracing the glorious trail the Starman blazed through the art world.

Along with fans, some of the most touching tributes have come from other artists inspired by Bowie. “Very sorry and sad to say it’s true. I’ll be offline for a while. Love to all,” Duncan Jones, Bowie’s son, announced on Twitter.

His announcement was followed by an outpouring of tributes to the passing of an artistic icon. “I just lost a hero. RIP David Bowie,” comedy writer and actor Ricky Gervais wrote on Twitter. Bowie famously played himself in the Gervais series Extras, brutally humiliating Ricky’s character with a great song.

The usually boasting Kanye West shared a rare reflective moment: “David Bowie was one of my most important inspirations, so fearless, so creative, he gave us magic for a lifetime,” he wrote on Twitter.

Madonna, who shares Bowie’s knack for constant reinvention, paid great tribute to one of her heroes on Twitter. “Im Devastated,” she wrote. “This great Artist changed my life! First concert i ever saw in Detroit! R.IP. [sic]”

The rock icon’s passing was also felt in other fields and actor Mark Ruffalo wrote a touching goodbye: “Rip Father of all us freaks. Sad sad day. [sic]”

UK Prime Minister David Cameron also paid tribute to one of the nation’s greatest cultural exports. “I grew up listening to and watching the pop genius David Bowie,” Cameron wrote on Twitter. “He was a master of re-invention, who kept getting it right. A huge loss.”

David Bowie died on Sunday aged 69 after an 18 month battle with cancer.